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Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett completed his investigation into the July 22, 2012 fatal police involved shooting of Brandon Payne and released his findings today.

The investigation found the Payne and his associates were the target of a federal investigation and were being monitored by federal court ordered electronic surveillance. As a result of that surveillance, law enforcement officers were aware that Payne and his associates intended to conduct an armed home invasion at 17 Highland Avenue in Lynn. While law enforcement officers were attempting to stop Payne and his associates from carrying out their plan, Payne attempted to get away by accelerating his vehicle in reverse. This action put those officers in imminent danger thus justifying their use of deadly force to protect themselves and others.

“Those officers acted courageously and professionally in attempting to stop Mr. Payne and his associates from committing an armed home invasion that mostly certainly would have resulted in serious injury or death of their intended targets as well as possibly endangering the safety and lives of innocent bystanders,” District Attorney Blodgett said. “The existence of that federal wiretap allowed law enforcement officers to gather information in real-time that prevented a serious crime from happening and most likely saved lives. This incident illustrates the urgent need to re-write Massachusetts wiretap laws which have not been updated since 1968.”